About the Wine: Though this is a California producer, Louis Martini follows the old world tradition of making multiple products with maddeningly similar labels. For example, this is their Sonoma County Cab as opposed to the Alexander Valley Cab, which is about five dollars a bottle more. You know this by looking at the single line of type under the cursive writing that says "Cabernet Sauvignon". Seriously, Louis Martini, if I want to play "Where's Waldo" with vital information about the wine I'm buying then I would buy Burgundy.
About THIS Wine: Green pepper is dominant on the nose,as one would expect from such a young Cab, but it is backed by jammy fruit. The palate is smooth and fruity. The finish is tannic but not nearly as gripping as one would expect for such a young Cabernet.
Drinking This Wine: The tannins are prominent enough that this would do well with some food. Beef and rice comes to mind as a good pairing. It is not so bracing as to need a bloody steak but a meat dish is definitely in order.
Overall Impression: I have always taken a certain pride in hating Gallo Family products so it pains me to say that this one is good for the price. If you're wondering, the way to tell if a wine is a Gallo Family product is to ask, "Is it from California and have I heard of it?" If you answer yes to both then there's about a fifty/fifty chance that it's a Gallo product.
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